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WILL COUNTY CLERK

LAURIE MCPHILLIPS

An experienced administrator with 20+ years of experience in working with our community to better our lives.

Economic Development and Beyond.

My first job was in Economic Development, then promoted to County Board Administrator and again to Director of Operations to the County Executive, running the day to day operations of about 15 Departments, including Finance, Highways, Land Use, and IT. For 12 years I was also responsible for preparing and implementing the County’s Budget. During this time I also worked 2 jobs to earn my Associates Degree in Business Management and Bachelor’s concentrating in Business Administration.

For 4 years I also served as your Recorder of Deeds, providing the 1st ever ON-LINE land records search system, digitizing records back to the 1960’s, opening a satellite office thru intergovernmental cooperation with DuPage Township, sharing information with the Veteran’s Assistance Commission and all governmental bodies-saving tax dollars, and winning the County Auditor’s fiscal responsibility award for saving the most tax dollars.

Choose Honesty, Integrity and Experienced Leadership.

Honesty, Integrity and Experience matter not only in managing elections, but the many other aspects of the County Clerk’s Office, including vital records (birth and death certificates and marriage licenses), property tax extension and delinquent taxes. We need leadership based on experience, like any business.

The combination of my 27 years of county government experience, managing county offices, and private sector business experience are essential to maintaining the high level of customer service, honesty and integrity that we have learned to expect from the County Clerk’s Office.

I want to earn your vote and “PUT EXPERIENCE TO WORK FOR YOU”. I’m Laurie McPhillips, for Will County Clerk.

Will County Habitat for Humanity – Past president (2 terms), past secretary and past member for 15 years – I was President of the Board when we established the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store. It was a labor of love that we could not have completed without our dedicated board and the generosity of our community.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will & Grundy Counties – former Board Member

Joliet Junior College Alumni Board – former Treasurer and Member

Honors & Awards:

Fiscal Responsibility Award – Will County Auditor – for returning unused budget funds back to the County.

Athena Award Recipient in 2008 – Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Working Women Council

Friend of the Spanish Community Center – for help in coordinating a food drive

Accessibility Achievement Award from the Will-Grundy Center for Independent Living – for installing computer software to make county records available to people with disabilities and assisting in getting sidewalk repairs completed for access

Gleaner – Outstanding Volunteer

TIMELINE

EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS

Will County Community & Economic Development Department

Executive Secretary

1987-1988

County Executive’s Office

Exclusive Secretary to Chuck Adelman (D) -- Assisted in transition to newly formed County Executive form of government

1993-2000

Director of Operations to County Executive Job Mikan (R)

Responsible for the day to day administration of 15 County Departments, with over 1,000 employees including Finance & Budget, Human Resources, Land Use/Building & Zoning, Highways, Sunny Hill Nursing Home, Building Maintenance, Emergency Management, Animal Control and more. Also responsible for preparing and implementing the Will County Budget and negotiating with all elected officials and department heads.

2004-2008

1985-1987

County Administrator’s Office

Executive Secretary to County Administrator

1988-1993

County Board Administrator

Promoted to County Board Administrator -- Only staff member for 27 County Board members - serving both Democrats and Republicans; staffed all County Board Committees; assisted in preparing and administering county budget; staff for union negotiations.

2000-2004

Will County Recorder of Deeds

Elected as Will County Recorder of Deeds. Followed through with ALL campaign promises and then some:
*Initiated the first web-search for public documents - allowing downloads so customers can access and save copies of documents from their homes or offices and not have to drive to downtown Joliet
*Converted 24 years of paper documents to electronic images, from 1989 back to 1965.
*Offered electronic access to recorded information, via the internet, to other governmental agencies, i.e. police, fire, 9-1-1, federal, state, to identify property ownership records 24/7.
*Opened a northern satellite office - working with Bill Maher, DuPage Township Supervisor, using available rent-free space in their building and existing staff.
* Went "green with green sheets" by implementing automatic downloads of property sale documents to township assessors, rather than mailing hundreds of copies weekly. This initiative saved postage, staff costs and MANY trees!